| March 4, 2005
Illinois Prison
Reform Bills
This is to inform you that
a committee that I am on has drafted four bills concerning
several prison issues. We were able to get Senator
John Cullerton to sponsor the bills.
Although the website
shows the bills are set for hearing on March 8th,
it is my present understanding they will be heard
March 15th and I have been contacted to be one of
the witnesses.
Anything you, or any
of you organizations can do to support these bills,
will be greatly appreciated.
SB 1829 - Medical Parole for serious
illness and disease with reasonable degree of death
within 12 months.
Amends the Unified Code
of Corrections. Provides that a prisoner committed
to the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections,
including, without limitation, a person serving a
sentence that limits the person's eligibility for
reduced sentence, parole, or mandatory supervised
release, shall be immediately eligible for a medical
parole if the person suffers from a serious illness
or serious disease which has the effect of permanently
incapacitating the prisoner; or the person is terminally
ill and is expected, with a reasonable degree of medical
certainty, to die within the following 12 months.
Establishes procedures by which the prisoner may apply
to the Prisoner Review Board for medical parole. Provides
that after a person is released on medical parole,
statutory or other good time shall not reduce the
remainder of the person's sentence while the person
is on medical parole. Provides that the term of parole
for a person on medical parole shall equal the remainder
of the sentence of the person plus any applicable
term of parole or mandatory supervised release.
SB 1830 - Grievance procedure for
prisoner health care
Amends the Southern
Illinois University Management Act. Provides that
the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University,
by or through the School of Medicine ("Medical School"),
shall enter into an intergovernmental agreement with
the Department of Corrections to investigate the grievances
of persons committed to the Department of Corrections
that relate to the provision of medical care. Amends
the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the
Department of Corrections may enter into an intergovernmental
agreement on a 2 year trial basis with the Southern
Illinois University School of Medicine to act as The
Medical Ombudsman Office ("the Ombudsman"), to investigate
the grievances of persons committed to it who are
housed at prisons covered by one of the contracts
for medical services entered into by the Department.
Provides that the trial shall include at least one
Level One facility. Provides that pursuant to the
trial program, the Grievance Officer at each institution
shall forward to the Ombudsman all grievances from
prisoners that relate to the provision of medical
care.
SB 1831 - Amends revoking of Good
Conduct Credit
Amends the Unified Code
of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections
may revoke good conduct credit of prisoners only for
specific rules violations that would constitute crimes
if committed by persons in other than a correctional
institution.
SB 1832 - Model honors program for
Level ONE prisons.
Amends the Unified Code
of Corrections. Provides that the Director of Corrections
shall establish a model "honors" program at one or
more Level 1 prisons that shall require that each
prisoner selected for such program enter into a contract
that requires the achievement of goals in the areas
of education, vocational training, conduct, and other
similar requirements within a one year time period.
Provides that if the prisoner complies with all terms
of such yearly contract, the Director may award such
prisoners up to 365 days of good conduct credit per
year if they successfully comply with all terms of
the contract, as approved by the Director. Provides
that failure to abide by the established contract
may result in loss of some or all days of good conduct
credit earned under the contract, but not in the loss
of other good conduct credit earned for other reasons.
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